PM Narendra Modi is on a day long visit to Leh, Ladakh. He has unveiled a plaque to mark the commencement of work on the Zoji La Tunnel. This 14 km long tunnel is stated to be the longest tunnel road in the country and the longest bi-directional tunnel in Asia.

The tunnel will run between Baltal and Minamarg on the Srinagar-Leh section of NH-1A and will offer all weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. Said to cut down travel time to cross Zoji La pass from a current 3.5 hours to 15 minutes, the tunnel is being constructed at a cost of INR 6,800 crores.

Work on this tunnel has commenced today, following the laying of foundation stone by PM Modi, while completion is expected in 2026. Another 6.5 km tunnel at Z-Morh along the Srinagar-Leh highway is also likely to be completed next year. This tunnel will make sure Srinagar and Kargil are connected via road all year, no matter the weather condition.

In 1997, the India Army conducted a survey for Zoji La tunnel while planning started in 1999 following the Kargil war. Besides proving beneficial to the Armed Forces, the Zoji La tunnel will also ensure year round connectivity to the people of Ladakh. Without road connectivity, almost 90% of the population in the Ladakh region are disconnected from the world. The only connectivity is via air, which is not feasible for most of citizens in the region.

Prime Minister of India with the locals after the inauguration earlier today.

Speaking about the Zoji La tunnel, it will be built around 400 meters beneath the existing highway. It will allow easy access to armed forces and for movement of supplies to border posts during the severe winter conditions in the region.

The Zoji La tunnel will be equipped with safety features such as a high tech communication system and vehicles will be able to travel at speeds of around 80 kmph within the tunnel. It will be an engineering marvel as it will be the first of its kind to be built across such rugged terrain and at an altitude of 11,578 feet where temperatures fall to -45 degrees.

Tuesday, 1 May 2018

The ace Bollywood actor and producer, Anushka Sharma who has turned 30 on Tuesday said in an open letter that words from the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama has moved her in working for the animals to make this world a better place to live in. The Bollywood star has pledged to build shelters for the stranded animals on the outskirts of Mumbai.

Anushka Sharma in her open letter published on her social media accounts wrote that being born as humans is truly a blessing as we have a voice to speak up with fundamental rights to enjoy and loving near and dear ones to take care of us. She wrote that now think about animals. While sharing her source of inspiration as the wise words from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Bollywood star pledged to build home for stranded animals on the outskirts of Mumbai.

“I was deeply moved by something His Holiness, The Dalai Lama said and his words have stayed with me since then. It incepted an idea deep within me and has propelled me to act on my thoughts of working for animals and trying to make the world a better place for them. His Holiness had said, “Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to a man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.” On my birthday, in my own little way, I’m starting something that will give our fellow living beings equal rights, equal care and equal love.” Anushka Sharma wrote in the open letter on Monday.

“I’m building an animal shelter just outside Mumbai — a home for those animals that are stranded, left to fend for themselves, have to brave harsh surroundings. A home where they will be cared for, loved, protected and nurtured.” she wrote in the letter adding that she will will seek time, support and advice from people to make this home a place that looks after fellow living beings with utmost care and compassion.

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Monday, 27 November 2017

As history crumbles in the face of modernization, art lovers from across the world try to preserve Ladakh’s cultural heritage.

| November 27, 2017

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The rugged moonscape of Ladakh seems untouched by time, and the only clue it offers to the passage of time is its centuries-old monasteries. Towering over each village like a sentient protector, these monasteries and their artefacts are a rich source of history of the region. Once central to the Silk Route before China and Pakistan closed the borders, the monasteries are victims of negligence and the forbidding climate of the Himalayan desert makes matters only worse.

Thangkas, murals, religious masks, texts, statues, weaponry and its very architecture — the treasure trove of art in monasteries– are in danger of being lost to the world. So much so, that the World Monument Fund has listed the region in the top 100 endangered sites in the world.

“Kashmir was where Vajrayana Buddhism was married to Saivite Hindu tradition,” Benoy K Behl, a filmmaker and photographer who has spent much of his time in Ladakh, tells Little India, talking about how the region was also a vital junction of the great trade routes that extended from Punjab to Tibet, Iran and Central Asia. It is, therefore, no wonder that the murals found in the monasteries see a wide set of influences: Turk-Mongol, Indo-Aryan, Iranian, Chinese.

The rampant change in climate has led to erratic rainfalls, landslides and flash floods, causing grave damage to the exteriors as well as the internal structure of the heritage buildings. Also, giving up old practices of construction, due to the pressures of modernization, have only added to the problem — these new practices are certainly not friends of heritage. Behl, who has spent decades studying the structures, and spearheading efforts to restore them, notes that going against the traditional methods and not adopting conservation-friendly technology led to most of the problems. Some of the major problems are that the concrete solution used in these buildings cracks owing to the weather, and using plastic sheets to cover murals dampen them.

THE MATHO MUSEUM PROJECT

Researcher and filmmaker Sangitika Nigam, who traveled with Behl across the land to identify monasteries in state of disrepair (56, by their count), has often emphasized that no restoration work can be done without the support of local people, resource and tradition.

Agrees Nelly Rieuf, a Himalayan art restorer who started the Matho Museum project in 2011 with the help of the monks from the Matho monastery, the local villagers and volunteers.

Nelly Rieuf

Sydney-born Rieuf has French roots and was initially trained by her aunt Marion Boyer who restored Thangkas — Tibetan Buddhist paintings made with natural pigments and materials — for over three decades. Rieuf received formal training in art restoration at Paris-Sorbonne University. She is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers — a motley crew of international and national students, climbers, architects, mountaineers — who help out with the project for a few months every year.

Rieuf was pointed in the direction of Matho by a monk, she tells Little India. “While I was in Mustang (Nepal), the son of the Sakya Trizin (the leader of the Sakya’s Buddhist school) informed me about the project in Matho Gompa in Ladakh,” she recalls. “The monks at Matho wanted to create a museum and asked me to implement their vision. Being a museum maker is a family tradition, it goes back to six generations in France and I’m the first one in my family doing it overseas!”

As there are only a few Thangka restorers in the world, Rieuf trained the local women of Ladakh on how to restore art. The women, now empowered by their new career, touch up masks, repair fraying Thangkas, and retouch statues and damaged wall murals. Each piece can take up to three months to be restored to a form that comes close to its original glory.

Oracle festival at Matho monastery

Matho Monastery, the only known monastery of Sakya sect of Buddhism in Ladakh, was founded in 1410. It is located about 20 km from Leh. The monastery is well-known for the Oracle festival, where two chosen monks act as conduit for divine spirits and guide villagers. The site is home to 600-year-old Thangka paintings and artefacts, like bronze sculptures, weapons, and intricately carved ritual chalices, beautiful jewelry and costumes.

MASJID SHARIF RESTORATION PROJECT

The Matho Museum, set to open in 2018, saw support from German architect Andre Alexander of Tibetan Heritage Fund until his demise in 2012. The Tibetan Heritage Fund was founded in 1996 by Alexander along with an artist, Pimpim de Azevedo. They started working in Ladakh in 2003.

One of their most notable restoration works was the Masjid Sharif restoration project, the first mosque in Leh. The mosque was built during the time of “Lion King” Senge Namgyal (1616-1642), a Buddhist king whose mother was a Muslim princess from the neighboring Baltistan. According to the restoration report by the organization, the Finnish embassy provided half the budget for the restoration.

Switzerland-based Achi Association has also been working in the region, concentrating their efforts in Kanji, Skurbuchan and Wanla areas of lower Ladakh, where they have been working with the local people on conservation and maintenance of chortens, paintings and monasteries.

Behl himself got support from scientists studying conservation technology in the region, Indian Army, as well as UNESCO, to restore two monasteries to their former glory — the Wanla monastery and Guru Lhakhang gompa (built between 11th to 13th century period) some years back. “I was happy to see that people were coming forward to help restore monasteries, and I went back to my main work of documenting Asian art, writing books, making films on the history of art and holding photographic exhibitions around the world,” he says.

Monasteries are an important documentation of trans-Himalayan Buddhism and Kashmiri Buddhism, Behl points out. Their very construction — on the hilltop (designed at a time when invasions were high) or on the valley floor — are key indicators of the time period they belong to. They are what remain of the time when the Buddhist king Yeshe-O (967-1040 C.E.) tried to fortify the kingdom by restoring Buddhist teachings. It was on his request that 32 Kashmiri artists were brought to Ladakh. Their distinctive signature art helped in establishing the 108 monasteries, from western Ladakh to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

However, the region’s richest monastery and certainly the one that sees most tourist influx — Hemis — has refused to remove the “out of bounds” tag for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The ASI, that had offered to take up conservation work here, has not been allowed to come in since 2006 after disagreement with the monks. Amid the standoff between the Buddhist clergy and the ASI, the heritage of the growing tourist spot suffers.

Saturday, 25 November 2017

LEH, Nov 24: On the bandh call given by Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), all the business establishments remained closed in the district today including Nobra, Changthang, Khaltsi and Kharu block.
The bandh call was given by LBA demanding release of three LBA members including LBA Youth Vice President on bail, who were arrested few days back after reportedly being accused in a case.
While speaking, Acting President LBA Rinchen Namgyal said the bandh will be extended for tomorrow as well if the arrested members are not given bail. It is learnt that the accused have not been given bail, he said, adding that LBA also warned to call for a chakka jam if the arrested persons are not released by tomorrow.
According to reports, the incident took place about two months back when a person had allegedly kept his meat shop open on an auspicious day and subsequently clashed with some people. In this regards, a case under FIR Number 65/17 under Sections 365, 323 and 506 RPC stands registered against members of LBA on September 6.
“Selling meat and keeping wine shops open on some Buddhist auspicious days are prohibited on such days on the consent and agreements of different communities and the merchant association,” LBA Acting President Rinchen Namgyal told media. Rinchen said that LBA have full faith in the Court of law and truth will prevail.

Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, July 8: A complete bandh was observed across the Leh district and Zanskar Division of Kargil district in protest against terror attack on Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya area of Bihar. There was spontaneous response to the bandh call of Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) with people keeping…

China and Tibet enjoyed a close relationship, though there were occasional "fights", he said at an interactive session organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

"The past is past. We will have to look into the future," he said.

"We are not seeking independence... We want to stay with China. We want more development," the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people said.

The Dalai Lama said China must respect Tibetans' culture and heritage.

"Tibet has a different culture and a different script...The Chinese people love their own country. We love our own country," he said.

Holding that no Chinese "understand what had happened in the last few decades", he said the country had changed over the years.

"With China joining the world, it has changed 40 percent to 50 percent of what it was earlier," he said.

The Dalai Lama also referred to the ecological significance of the Tibetan Plateau and recalled that a Chinese ecologist had said its environmental impact was like that of the South Pole and the North Pole.

"The ecologist called it the Third Pole," the Buddhist leader said.

The Dalai Lama said, "From Yangtze to Sindhu rivers, major rivers ... come from Tibet. Billions of lives are
involved. Taking care of the Tibetan Plateau is not only good for Tibet but for billions of people."

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

The Leh airport, 340 kms from Srinagar, is being used both by the army and civilians and witness heavy rush of travellers during the day.
GK Web Desk
Srinagar | Posted : Nov 21 2017 2:19PM | Updated: Nov 21 2017 2:20PM

Representational Pic

Government forces were put on maximum alert in Leh town of frontier region of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday following intelligence reports that militants might strike the local airport there.

The Leh airport, 340 kms from Srinagar, is being used both by the army and civilians and witness heavy rush of travellers during the day.

The Leh airport, 340 kms from Srinagar, is being used both by the army and civilians and witness heavy rush of travellers during the day.
GK Web Desk
Srinagar | Posted : Nov 21 2017 2:19PM | Updated: Nov 21 2017 2:20Pm

Representational Pic

Government forces were put on maximum alert in Leh town of frontier region of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday following intelligence reports that militants might strike the local airport there.

The Leh airport, 340 kms from Srinagar, is being used both by the army and civilians and witness heavy rush of travellers during the day.

Leaving nothing to chance, the security has been beefed up in and around the airport,

Celebrities are known to follow a strict fitness routine. They usually have a tight schedule for most of the day, so it is important for them to make time for exercise. Actors have a strict routine as they have to build their body based on the roles they are playing. Politicians and businessmen are mostly working throughout the day, so they usually take the mornings off to unwind themselves. Below are five simple celebrity morning habits that will transform your body for good.

1) Be an early riser

Early risers have quite an advantage of having the whole morning to themselves. Since celebrities start work early in the day, they try to squeeze in a quick workout before they start work or they wake up before sunrise. Former American President Barack Obama is a night person, but he wakes up early in the morning for a quick workout before he gets into office at 8.30 AM. Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, wakes up as early as 4.30 AM to exercise. Getting a good night’s sleep is as important as waking up early.

2) Meditate

Ideally, the first thing you should be doing when you wake up in the morning is to sit still for about 20 minutes with your eyes closed. Meditation is known to relieve stress and help you prepare for a hard day’s work. TV celebrity, Oprah Winfrey, is known to meditate two times a day. She mentioned that meditation brings you a sense of hope, contentment and joy. It brings calm to your average chaotic day. Bill Ford, the Ford Motor Company executive chairman, says that meditation helps him go through the day with compassion.

3) Drink water

It is important to start your day with a glass of warm water. Squeezing a lemon into it helps detoxify your body. Before heading for your workout, it is important for you to hydrate yourself. It is also recommended to drink water after your workout session. Boxing coach and personal trainer, Remy Jhett, drink three glasses of water before heading to the gym. Trainer and running coach, Joe Holder, drinks a glass of water with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and lemon juice before heading for a workout.

4) Exercise

As we all know, exercise plays a vital part in transforming your body for good. Exercising as soon as you wake up in the morning is ideal. Running, walking, cycling, swimming and playing sports are all good forms of exercise. Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and Square, jogs for six miles in the morning. Bill Gates, co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation, works out on the treadmill for an hour before heading to work. Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, journalist and editor, starts her day with a vigorous game of tennis.

5) Eat a healthy breakfast

Breakfast, being the first meal of the day, is very important. A healthy breakfast helps you stay fit and maintain your weight. Physical instructor, Amanda Butler, has a healthy, filling breakfast that includes whole-wheat English muffin, yoghurt, scrambled eggs, and a glass of organic milk. Basketball legend, Shaquille O’Neal, revealed that his breakfast includes egg-white omelette and fresh orange juice. Ensure that your breakfast is filling and contains the right amount of nutrients.

You can see that even people with the most hectic work schedules ensure that they live a healthy life. Mornings are the best time to reinvigorate yourselves and keep you energetic and motivated for the rest of the day. Following these simple morning habits can transform your body for good and will bring about a positive change in your lifestyle.

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Kachen Dugyal passed away in meditation at Kee village, Spiti in 1998. Following the directions of H.H. the Dalai Lama, on June 26, 2011 searchers from Spiti found his reincarnation in Leh, Ladakh. The boy's name was Rinchen Namgyal, son of Tsewang Norbu. On August 8 the office of the Dalai Lama sent a letter to the searchers confirming that the boy was the reincarnation of Kachen Dugyal. On September 8 the boy, with an entourage of monks and lay Buddhists, traveled from Leh to Spiti for a series of events. These included official recognition as the reincarnation of Kachen Dugyal at Kee Gompa, and becoming the student of Lochen Rinpoche Tulku. After leaving Spiti, Rinchen Namgyal went to Dharamsala where he met with H.H. the Dalai Lama, the Karmapa Lama, and other lamas and Buddhist teachers. He is currently studying at the Sera Je in Karnataka. www.kondawtenz74107@gmail.com

Monday, 20 November 2017

The minimum temperatures in Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg were 0.3, minus 2.5 and minus 6.2 respectively.

Tenzlot | Updated: November 20, 2017 14:04 IST

At minus 6.7 degrees Celsius, Leh was the coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar: Ladakh's Leh town recorded the lowest minimum temperature in Jammu and Kashmir for the fourth consecutive day on Monday, the weather office said.

"At minus 6.7 degrees Celsius today (Monday), Leh was the coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir for the fourth consecutive day. The maximum temperature on Sunday was 5.1 degrees Celsius in Leh and 9.2 in Kargil," a Met official said.

The minimum temperatures in Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg were 0.3, minus 2.5 and minus 6.2 respectively.

"In Gulmarg, Sunday's maximum temperature also remained below the freezing point at minus 0.5 degrees Celsius," the official said.

Saturday, 18 November 2017

Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the 19th incarnation of Arhat Bakula, considered one of the 16 direct disciples of Lord Buddha, was a prominent Buddhist monk, statesman and international diplomat. The former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called him “the architect of Modern Ladakh,” and this year Ladakh is celebrating his birth centenary.

Born into a royal Ladakhi family on May 19, 1917, Bakula Rinpoche led a life that was markedly different from other religious leaders. He held many official positions during his lifetime including Member of the J&K Constituent Assembly, a minister in Jammu and Kashmir Government, two-term Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha), a Member of the National Commission on Minorities and India’s ambassador to Mongolia. After an eventful life, Rinpoche passed away on November 4, 2003, at the age of 86.

In his opening remarks on Vijaya Dashmi earlier this year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recalled his stellar contribution to India. “Acharya Bakula manifested the same national vision of Bharat towards global humanity through his personal and social conduct which Swami Vivekananda had declared in his Chicago speech,” he said. While the people of Ladakh may not agree with some of Bhagwat’s prescriptions for India, there was much appreciation for the respect he paid to a prominent leader of Ladakh, a region often ignored by mainstream media.

Rinpoche indeed lived a remarkable life. In early 1948, when tribal raiders from Pakistan attacked Jammu and Kashmir, he successfully coordinated Indian efforts to protect Ladakh from falling into the hands of the proverbial ‘enemy’.

It was a meeting with Jawahar Lal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, in early 1949, which set the ball rolling for a remarkable political career marked by constructive religious pursuits. He made a detailed case for Ladakh to remain a part of India following an attack by tribal raiders from Pakistan and talk of a United Nations-backed plebiscite.

A delegation of the Ladakh Buddhist Association, a civil society organisation concerned with the affairs of the Buddhist community in the region, had earlier made the same demands to our first prime minister. Irrespective of the outcome of a potential plebiscite, Rinpoche argued that Ladakh must remain with India.

It was at this meeting, where Nehru suggested that politics offered the best route for him to contribute to Ladakh’s well-being. This suggestion profoundly changed the course of Rinpoche’s life.

On the subject of Kashmir, he took a stand which was contrary to the position taken by his party, the Indian National Congress. He strongly opposed Article 370 and called for its abolition so that the merger of the State of J&K with the rest of India would be complete. He also planted the seeds for the demand of Union Territory (UT) status for Ladakh following frustrating stints in the Jammu and Kashmir administration. Rinpoche felt the region’s concerns were deliberately ignored by successive ruling dispensations in Srinagar with their focus firmly stuck on the Kashmir Valley. The establishment of the current Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council is a direct legacy of the initial demands he made for UT status in the 1960s.

In his seminal book ‘India after Gandhi’, the noted Indian historian Ramachandra Guha refers to how Rinpoche had warned the Government of India in 1955 of the severe danger facing Tibet and its potential fallout on India, as reports came in of growing Chinese presence in the region.

As the story goes, Rinpoche led a delegation deputed by the Nehru administration to coordinate with the then Government of Tibet, based in Lhasa, for the participation of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama in the 2500th Buddha Jayanti celebrations, scheduled to take place the following year across India.

HH The 14th Dalai Lama being received at Palam by Jawaharlal Nehru, Bakula Rinpoche and a whole host of Indian dignitaries in 1956. (Source: Sonam Wangchuk)

On his return to New Delhi, Rinpoche warned Nehru of the situation in Tibet. Unfortunately, his warnings were ignored by the government, and the consequences of their inaction are well-documented. Despite the horrors of the Chinese aggression in 1961-62, Rinpoche never rubbed the debacle in Nehru’s face, and in fact, worked tirelessly for the resettlement of Tibetan refugees following their influx.

A notable aspect of Rinpoche’s multi-faceted personality was that during his long and distinguished political career he maintained a close and cordial relationship with leaders of all the major political parties. His standing transcended party lines, despite his life-long association with the Congress party.

This fact came to light when he was appointed as a member of the National Minorities Commission, representing the Buddhist community in 1978 under the then Janata Party government, following the Congress party’s drubbing in the post-Emergency polls. This was a post he held until his appointment as India’s ambassador of Mongolia in 1990.

A recipient of Padma Bhushan in 1988, the late Bakula Rinpoche remains the most prominent Buddhist leader of Independent India. However, it was his contribution to the revival of Buddhism in Mongolia as an Indian diplomat following the collapse of the Soviet Union that genuinely stands out.

Rinpoche receiving the Padma Bhushan award in 1988 from then President R Venkataraman. (Source: Sonam Wangchuk)

We only have to consider the words of P. Ochirbat, the first democratically elected President of Mongolia (1992-97) to gauge the impact Bakula Rinpoche had on the people of Mongolia during his tenure (1990-2000). “Ambassador Bakula Rinpoche was a statesman, a diplomat and a Buddhist clergy who carved out his niche in the history of Mongolia. He recognised the historical necessity of developing Mongolia’s national culture to restore the glory of Buddhism, an inseparable part of its cultural heritage. In 1994 I paid a State Visit to India during which the two countries signed the historic Treaty of Cooperation and Friendship. It was an unprecedented and a landmark agreement in the history of bilateral relations, and here I would like to emphasise on the personal efforts made by Bakula Rinpoche in the accomplishment of this feat,” he said.

Rinpoche in the Mongolian countryside with his followers. (Source: Sonam Wangchuk)

Unlike other embassies, the Indian Embassy in Ulaanbaatar during Rinpoche’s tenure hosted not just diplomats and locals seeking Indian visas, but a long line of devotees from the Mongolian countryside seeking his teachings and blessings on a near-daily basis. He is fondly remembered as ‘Elchin Bagsh’ (Ambassador-Teacher) by the people of Mongolia. In 2001, he was conferred with the Polar Star award, Mongolia’s second-highest civilian award. The Pethub Stangey Choskhor Ling Monastery that Rinpoche built in the heart of Ulaanbaatar is a confirmation of the deep-rooted connection he had felt with the people of Mongolia. What more could you ask of a diplomat?

Inauguration of Pethub Monastery, Ulaanbaatar. (1999)

These anecdotes only capture a small portion of his contributions to Ladakh, Mongolia and Buddhist culture across the globe. In honour of his life’s work, the Government of India renamed the Leh airport as the Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport. Mohan Bhagwat’s speech on Vijay Dashmi only reminded the people of India that such a person existed in our midst—a living embodiment of the idea of India.

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